Espérance de Tunis secured their place in the Tunisian Cup final this afternoon after a deserved 1-0 victory over JS Omrane at the Chedly Zouiten Stadium. Dominant for most of the match, the Blood and Gold made the difference through Danho before managing their lead despite several opportunities to put the game beyond doubt.

From the opening minutes, Christian Bracconi’s men imposed their rhythm on the match. In the 6th minute, Jack Diarra used his pace brilliantly down the left flank, beating his defender before trying to place the ball past goalkeeper Montassar Essid, but the JSO defense cleared the danger at the last moment.

The game quickly became one-sided. Espérance controlled possession and kept play inside the opponent’s half, while JS Omrane sat deep defensively and refused to open spaces. In the 18th minute, a fine combination between Yan Sasse and Chiheb Jebali allowed the latter to unleash a curling effort, but Essid reacted well to deny him.

The Blood and Gold’s dominance was finally rewarded on the half-hour mark. After a move initiated by Yan Sasse and continued by Hamza Rafia, the midfielder dribbled through a crowded defense before finding Danho inside the box. The striker fired a powerful low shot that beat Essid and found the back of the net, giving Espérance a fully deserved lead.

Espérance continued to push forward afterward. In the 40th minute, Ben Ali came close to doubling the advantage, but Essid produced a magnificent save to keep his side alive. Three minutes later, Yan Sasse tried his luck from a dangerous free-kick near the edge of the area, but his effort struck the wall.

JS Omrane finally created their best chance just before halftime. Deep into stoppage time, Amen Allah Memmiche had to intervene twice to preserve Espérance’s lead. The first half ended with a logical 1-0 advantage for the Blood and Gold, whose superiority and control were undeniable.

After the break, JS Omrane showed more ambition and attempted to press higher up the pitch in search of an equalizer. That approach, however, also left more spaces for Espérance to exploit on the counterattack.

Yan Sasse remained very active offensively. In the 53rd minute, his low shot rolled just wide of Essid’s goal. Four minutes later, following an excellent cross from Laifi, the Brazilian met the ball with a diving header that narrowly missed the target.

Espérance kept creating the better chances. In the 70th minute, Yan Sasse produced a superb solo run through the entire defense before being denied by the goalkeeper. Then, in the 74th minute, Essid first saved Dhaou’s effort before stopping Danho again on the rebound.

The Blood and Gold also felt they should have been awarded a penalty five minutes from time after Danho was brought down by the goalkeeper’s challenge. Following a VAR review, however, the referee decided not to point to the spot.

As fatigue and the afternoon heat took their toll late in the game, the pace slowed down and technical mistakes increased on both sides. Jabri even had the chance to seal the victory in the 87th minute, but his shot went wide.

In the end, the important thing was achieved. Serious, disciplined, and overall superior to their opponents, Espérance fully deserved their qualification to the Tunisian Cup final. The Blood and Gold will now face Espérance Sportive de Zarzis in Radès after the southern side defeated Club Sportif Sfaxien 1-0 in the other semifinal.

Congratulations to our Blood and Gold!

EST Line-up: Memmiche, Ben Ali (Keita 87'), Laïfi, Jelassi, Meriah(c), Rafia, Konaté, Jebali (Dhaou 61'), Sasse (Hadj-Ali 87'), Diarra (Ogbelu 61') and Danho (Jabri 86').